Ship equipped with giant solar sails

Norway 's Hurtigruten unveils a new electric passenger ship with retractable sails covered in solar panels, set to set sail in 2030.

The 135-meter-long zero-emissions train. Photo: Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten currently has a fleet of eight ships, each carrying 500 passengers, plying the Norwegian coast from Oslo to the Arctic Circle. CEO Hedda Felin hopes the new initiative can inspire the entire maritime industry. The project, called “Sea Zero,” was first announced in March 2022. Since then, together with 12 partners and the research institute SINTEF, Hurtigruten has been exploring technological solutions to achieve zero-emissions shipping at sea.

Hurtigruten’s passenger ship is designed to run primarily on a 60-megawatt battery that can be recharged with clean energy in port, as renewables account for 98 percent of Norway’s electricity supply. Gerry Larsson-Fedde, senior vice president at Hurtigruten, estimates the battery will have a range of 555 to 648 kilometers, meaning the passenger ship will only need to be recharged about seven to eight times during an 11-day round trip.

To reduce dependence on the batteries, when the wind is strong, three sails will rise from the deck, reaching a maximum height of 50 m. These sails can be adjusted independently, lowering when passing under the bridge or changing their angle to catch the best wind. The three sails are covered with a total of 1,500 m2 of solar panels, which can generate energy to supplement the batteries. The amount of electricity in the batteries will be displayed on the side of the ship. "In Norway, even though it is sometimes dark in winter, the sun is still in the south. The sun shines all day long in summer," said Larsson-Fedde.

The ship will have 270 cabins, accommodating 500 passengers and 99 crew. The streamlined shape of the ship will reduce drag, helping to reduce energy use. Hurtigruten will test technology proposals over the next two years before finalizing the design in 2026 and building the shipyard in 2027. The first ship will set sail in Norway in 2030. After that, the company hopes to gradually transition the entire fleet to zero-emission vessels.

An Khang (According to CNN )

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